1. Field of Invention
The present invention is generally directed to a binding article and composition and binding processes thereof. More specifically, the present invention relates to improved binding tapes and binding processes for use, for example, in binding devices and binding operations in printing and copying machines. The binding tapes of the present invention do not require a foil moisture barrier and thereby provide a number of advantages over other binding compositions, articles, and automated binding processes.
2. Description of Related Art
Attention is directed to commonly owned and assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,006,396, issued Apr. 9, 1991, to VanBortel et al., entitled xe2x80x9cMOISTURE PROOF THERMALLY ACTUATED BINDING TAPE FOR BOOKS,xe2x80x9d wherein there is disclosed a moisture proof binding tape for edge binding pages to form a book comprising a non-permeable temperature resistant foil layer covering one side of the backing strip forming a moisture barrier, a high temperature steam resistant adhesive between the foil layer and the backing strip to secure the foil layer to the backing strip, and a relatively thick central stripe of low tack heat activated adhesive flanked by relatively thin side stripes of high tack heat activated adhesive on the foil layer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,213,871, issued May 25, 1993, to VanBortel et al., entitled xe2x80x9cMOISTURE PROOF THERMALLY ACTUATED BINDING TAPE FOR BOOKS,xe2x80x9d wherein there is disclosed a moisture proof binding tape for edge binding pages to form a book comprising a non-permeable temperature resistant foil layer covering one side of the backing strip forming a moisture barrier, a high temperature steam resistance adhesive between the foil layer and the backing strip to secure the foil layer to the backing strip, and a relatively thick central stripe of high tack heat activated adhesive flanked by relatively thin side stripes of low tack heat activated adhesive on the foil layer, the central adhesive stripe comprising a non-hygroscopic adhesive; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,174,556, issued Dec. 29, 1992, to Taylor et al., entitled xe2x80x9cFINISHER WITH BINDER PRINTING,xe2x80x9d wherein there is disclosed a document finisher that includes a printing station for printing on the binding of a book, in one embodiment a printing station prints on the binder tape before the book is bound, and in a second embodiment the printer prints on the binding after the book is bound, and the printing stations are space efficient and designed to be easily incorporated with preexisting stations in document finishers, and wherein ink jet printers and impact-type printers may be utilized.
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,006,396 to xe2x80x9cMoisture Proof Thermally Actuated Binding Tape for Booksxe2x80x9d, issued Apr. 9, 1991, to VanBortel et al., the disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference, a popular method of binding pages together permanently to form a xe2x80x98Perfect Boundxe2x80x99 book, pamphlet, or the like, uses a binding strip or tape with heat activated adhesive. As discussed more fully in the aforecited VanBortel et al patent, moisture tends to accumulate in the paper backing strip of the binding tape. During the binding process, when heat and pressure are applied, the moisture vaporizes to form steam. The steam rises into the adhesives in the form of bubbles. When the binding process is completed, the steam is trapped in the adhesive, resulting in a degraded and poor bind. The VanBortel et al., patent addressed this problem by placing an impervious moisture proof layer such as aluminum foil between the binding tape backing and the adhesives, thereby preventing any steam created through heating of the binding strip from passing upwardly from the backing strip into the strip adhesives. It has been found, however, that moisture may also accumulate in and thus be present in the adhesives themselves, particularly in the relatively thick spine adhesive. When this occurs, the moisture is turned to steam by heat from the binding process, forming bubbles in the adhesive. On cooling of the adhesive, following completion of the binding process, the bubbles remain, resulting in a weakened and unreliable binding.
The disclosure of each of the above mentioned patent applications are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. The appropriate components and processes of those patent applications may be selected for the products and processes of the present invention in embodiments thereof.
It is a feature of the present invention to provide an improved moisture proof thermally actuated binding tape for application to the spine of a book to bind the pages together that comprise the book, the tape having a backing strip with at least one stripe of high tack hot melt adhesive on the tape and a layer of non-permeable moisture resistant barrier material between the backing strip and the adhesive stripe to prevent transfer of moisture in the form of steam from the backing strip to the adhesive stripe on application of heat to the tape, application of heat to the tape actuating the adhesive to form a bond between the tape and the book spine, in which the stripe of high tack hot melt adhesive comprises a substantially non-hygroscopic adhesive material to obviate the accumulation of moisture by the adhesive material and the generation of undesirable steam on application of heat to the tape during binding.
It is another feature of the present invention to provide a simple and economical binding processes for the binding multi-page documents which are produced, for example, in modern electrophotographic, ionographic, ink jet, and the like print engines and processes.
The present invention in embodiments provides a binding tape for application to the spine of a book to bind pages of said book together, the tape comprising;
a coated backing strip;
a first hot melt spine adhesive stripe coated on a coated side of the backing strip, wherein the first hot melt adhesive stripe is located away from the edges of the strip and the first hot melt adhesive stripe runs substantially from one end of the strip to the other end of the strip about the long axis of the strip; and
at least two second hot melt flap adhesive stripes coated on a coated side of the backing strip wherein the second adhesive stripes are located in areas other than those covered by the first adhesive stripe; and
A book page tape binding process comprising:
applying the above mentioned binding tape to a plurality of sheets with heat.
These and other embodiments of the present invention are illustrated herein.